Election ads end; enjoy the silence

Now that the election is over, Americans’ ears can have some relief from the onslaught of irritating political ads.

Printed political propaganda at least doesn’t make noise and can be deposited in a recycling bin for some positive use.

But electronic ads delivered via television, telephone, Internet and radio are virtually inescapable, especially in a presidential election year. Social media only perpetuates the pain.

No matter what the political party, campaign commercials are, for the most part, annoying and often insulting to the intelligence.

The ones specifically designed to attack an opponent are particularly grating since it is apparent information is omitted if not outright incorrect, just by the disingenuous tone of the announcer.

Of course, attack ads beget counter-attack ads, and on and on it goes.

What is even more disconcerting than the assault on Americans’ auditory canals is the obscene amount of money spent on campaign commercials.

According to published reports, as of Nov. 5, at least $522 million had been spent on television commercials and other political propaganda by independent groups during the presidential campaign.

The money mostly came from “political action committees” also know as “Super PACs” that can’t be legally tied to candidates, but can be overseen by former staffers and political allies of candidates.

For example, American Crossroads, that spent $91,115,402 attacking President Barack Obama, had as its senior advisor the infamous Karl Rove, former chief policy coordinator to George W. Bush whose advice led to, among other crises, the worst recession since the Great Depression and the U.S. occupation of Iraq that killed nearly 4,500 Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.

Then there’s the Americans for Prosperity that spent $33,564,920 attacking Obama, funded primarily by multi-billionaire brothers David H. and Charles G. Koch who also have ties to the tea party and who are desperate to preserve the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy.

But presidential candidates aren’t the only ones who waste millions on abrasive campaign commercials. Congressional candidates and even candidates for the state Legislature inundate the public with some of the nastiest fodder to litter the airwaves.

It is hard to believe that any of these campaign commercials actually sway voters’ opinions other than to help them see how low some politicians will sink to get elected.

Even if all political advertisements remained civilized and only promoted candidates’ achievements without assassinating their opponents’ characters, the cost is still obscene.

For decades, the United States has been sorely in need of campaign reform, and eliminating the need to spend millions for political propaganda should be at the top of the list.

Until then, we can only be thankful for “mute” buttons on our electronic devices and the all-too-short breaks between election seasons.